The present invention pertains to plugs or inserts for plugging apertures in machines, accessories parts and structural members, and more particularly pertains to plugs for plugging the apertures spaced about the rims of truck wheels.
For reasons of aesthetics and personal taste, vehicles wheels for automobiles, jeeps, SUVs, and trucks now come in a wide variety of styles and designs, with much of the styling and design being located on and arranged about the rim of the wheel. More specifically, the external or outwardly facing wheel rim can include numerous apertures spaced about the rim and the axle of the vehicle. The apertures spaced about the wheel rim can be in any geometric or decorative configuration with such configurations ranging from diamonds and octagons to crescent and s-shaped curves.
However, one prominent problem with such wheels, whether they are of standard or of customized design, is that dirt, debris and mud can collect in and occlude the apertures spaced about the rim of the wheel. In addition, mud, dirt, and debris will get onto the wheels themselves. This is undesirable for both safety and aesthetic reasons as many types of wheel rims are manufactured from high-grade, polished aluminum that must be kept clean and dirt free.
Thus, the use of plugs is one method utilized to prevent the collection and passage of dirt, mud and debris into and through the apertures spaced about the wheel rims. For example, the Winters patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,670) discloses a wheel hole insert that includes a liner for insertion into the wheel hole and which is held in place by tabs or detents that engage the rear surface of the wheel rim. In addition, an exterior member, integrally formed to the liner covers the wheel hole and is externally visible.
Despite the ingenuity of the above device, there remains a need for a plug or insert that can be easily inserted into the wheel hole and locked into place, and that includes an external surface that both covers and blocks the wheel hole and incorporates both decorative and reflective qualities and features.